The Funny Looking Boy with Red Hair
by kericobarbossa
Summary: Rapunzel met Quasimodo when she was almost a year old and 18 years later she remembers the visit. Now she's headed to Paris to find the funny-looking boy with red hair.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, all! I've been working on this fic for a while now and now I'm finally gonna put it up! This is a Tangled/Hunchback of Notre Dame story. This chapter is set almost a year after Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel. Also, Quasimodo can't really pronounce his Rs. Haha, well I hope you like it! Please R&R!

~ 18 years ago ~

One early fall morning, Mother Gothel had gone into Corona's town square to buy food and diapers for her new daughter she'd kidnapped a year earlier. Before she left the tower, she made sure Rapunzel was asleep and safe in her crib, not wanting to risk taking her into Corona. While buying bread from a merchant, she heard a man shouting in the square. After buying her bread, she went to see what was going on.

"DAMNATION! ETERNAL DAMNATION!" the man shouted. _Oh, great_, Gothel thought, _one of _those_ guys._ "Through Christ is the only way into Heaven! You must be baptized in the name of the Lord, heathens!" Gothel rolled her eyes as she passed him. "You, there! Woman!" the man shouted towards Gothel.

"Oh, no," Gothel mumbled.  
>"Woman! Have you been baptized? Have you repented, sinner?" he asked her.<p>

"Yes," Gothel replied, coolly, "for your information, I have. Many years ago. In the Notre-Dame Cathedral, no less."

"Wonderful! And what of your child?" the man asked. Gothel's eyes widened.

"What do you know of my child?" Gothel tried not to yell.

"You carry linens and food. I can only imagine you have a child at home. Has it been baptized?" Gothel relaxed slightly.  
>"Well, no," she answered truthfully.<p>

"O! Let thine child repent! Let your child be baptized or damn it to Hell yourself!" the man carried on and on as Gothel walked away, thinking about what he said. Maybe the nut had a point. Gothel'd always considered herself a woman of faith and was quite proud of the fact she'd been baptized at Notre-Dame. Maybe Rapunzel needed to be baptized as well.

When she returned to the tower, she had made up her mind: she was going to take Rapunzel to Paris to baptize her at Notre-Dame. She figured Rapunzel was still plenty young enough so she would never remember the trip. It'd be the only time Gothel would ever let her out of the tower.

Feeling worn out from all the walking and decision making, Gothel picked up her sleeping daughter and rocked her as she sang,  
>"Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine…"<p>

~.~.~.~.~

A week later, they were in Paris. Gothel felt a sense of awe as she looked upon the grandness of Notre-Dame. As she walked towards the massive cathedral, Rapunzel securely in her arms, she had a disgusted look on her face as beggars and gypsies gallivanted around the streets. On the steps of Notre-Dame a beggar grabbed at her skirt.

"Spare change for a poor, old man, Madame?" he asked in a quivering voice. Gothel was thoroughly repulsed.

"Let go of me, you filthy peasant!" she said, trying to kick him off. When she was successful, she burst through the cathedral doors and shut them tight behind her. She shifted Rapunzel into one are and reached down with the other to brush off her skirt. "Mangy commoners!"

That was when a man in long black robes, who had been talking to a man in white before she burst in, walked towards her.

"Beggars?' he asked sympathetically. Gothel looked up to see the man with a triangular hat, clearly a high official of some sort.

"Yes," she said curtly. "Filthy things! Trying to get money out of me, hmph! Couldn't he see I have a child? I'ven't any money to give to him! And even if I did…" Gothel trailed off. The man had an apologetic smile.

"I am terribly sorry, Madame. I am trying to take care of those pests," he said. Gothel raised one eyebrow at him. "Ah, allow me to introduce myself. I am Judge Claude Frollo," he said with a bow.

"Madame Gothel," she replied with a slight curtsey. Frollo smiled.

"Madame Gothel, a pleasure," he smiled and turned his attention to Rapunzel. "And who's this?"

"This is my daughter, Rapunzel," she answered, looking down at Rapunzel who was staring in wonder at the things around her and giggling. "We've come here to get her baptized."

"Ah, wonderful! And is she yours biologically? I only ask because you look nothing alike, I don't mean to pry." Gothel stiffened but kept her cool.

"Actually, no. I… rescued her from… ungrateful parents," Gothel lied with perfection, adding a saddened tone to her voice.

"Really? I have done almost the same thing, you know. I have a boy, Quasimodo, almost three years old. His mother cast him away because he was born horribly disfigured. I am the only one kind enough to take care of the poor thing."

"You are truly kind, Judge Frollo," Gothel said with a semi-flirtatious smile. Frollo smiled too.

"Thank you, as are you, Madame. But please, call me Claude," he said with a grin, "Madame? Would you like me to show you around the finer points of Paris?" Gothel hesitated.

"I would love to, Claude, but Rapunzel—"

"Oh, don't worry about her! I'll have the Archdeacon take care of her. She'll be in the greatest care, I promise. And tomorrow we can baptize the dear girl."

"Well… Alright," Gothel agreed, giving into the man's charm. He smiled as she handed Rapunzel to the Archdeacon and then offered her his arm and led her out the doors.

~.~.~.~.~

The Archdeacon immediately loved the small girl in his arms. She was so happy and bubbly and had the most beautiful hair he'd ever seen. He smiled, making gushy noises at her and tickling her chin. Rapunzel giggled wildly, her big, green eyes sparkling. That was when a thought occurred to him.

"I bet I know someone who would love to meet you, little Rapunzel." Rapunzel giggled and tugged at the man's white sideburns. "Ow! Ow! Easy, child!"

~.~.~.~.~

At the very top of the cathedral, the Archdeacon entered a room very caustiosly.

"Quasimodo?" he asked, "Where are you, boy?" The Archdeacon heard the uneven patters of child's footsteps.

"Master?" Quasimodo asked appearing around the corner. "Oh. Hello, Archdeacon! Why are you here?" the small, red-haired boy asked in a high-pitched voice. The Archdeacon looked down at the poor, disfigured child.

"I've brought someone for you to meet. A friend," he said, kneeling to show Rapunzel to Quasimodo. The small boy moved closer, eyes widening as he saw the baby.

"Who is she?" he asked.

"Her name is Rapunzel. Would you like to hold her, Quasimodo?" The boy looked hesitant.

"She's not scared of monsters?" Quasi asked in a slightly sad tone. The Archdeacon sighed. He despised Frollo for telling this poor child he's a monster.

"No. No I don't think she is," he said, extending the girl out to him. Quasi sat down and the Archdeacon sat her in Quasi's lap. Rapunzel's big eyes stared up at the boy holding her and she grinned, slowly reaching her hand up towards him. There was a moment of anticipation and then suddenly Rapunzel grabbed a fistful of Quasi's hair and tugged.

"Ouch!" Quasimodo yelped and Rapunzel giggled wildly. The Archdeacon grimaced.

"Yeah, she likes to do that." Quasi smiled though and ran a hand through Rapunzel's hair.

"It's so pwetty," he said in awe. "And she's not scared of me!" The Archdeacon smiled.

"No, she's not," he said. "Now Quasi, can I trust you to take good care of Rapunzel while I go tend to the cathedral for a while?"

"Oh, yes, Sir! I pwomise! I'll take good care of her! I pwomise!"

"Okay," the Archdeacon smirked, "Be very careful with her and if you need anything, you know where I am," he said and left the room.

Quasi picked up Rapunzel under her arms and helped her stand.

"Do you want to meet my fwiends, Wapunzel?" She answered by laughing and pressing a plump palm against Quasi's cheek. The boy picked her up gently and walked towards three gargoyles. "Wapunzel, meet Victor, Hugo and Lavewne!" Quasi said as the three gargoyles came to life.

"Well what do we have here?" Victor asked.

"It's a baby, dummy!" Hugo said and Victor frowned.

"I know that, imbecile!"

"Well then why'd ya ask?"

"Will you two shut it!" Laverne interrupted their bantering and turned to Quasimodo. "What's her name, Quasi?"

"Wapunzel! Look at her hair, Lavewne! Isn't it pwetty?"

"Yeah it is!" Hugo answered.

"Oh, Quasi!" Laverne said, hopping towards a small table, "Look what we found for you!" He returned and held out his to Quasimodo, revealing a small, green animal.

"What is it?" Quasi inquired.

"It's a chameleon," Victor told him.

"He's a new friend for ya, Quasi!" Hugo mused.

"Thank you!" Quasimodo said, taking the chameleon. "Look, Wapunzel! Do you like him?" Rapunzel giggled and leaned in closely, examining the green mound. There was a pause and suddenly, the baby grabbed the chameleon and put it in her toothless mouth, slobbering all over the poor thing. Quasi gasped and took the animal from her.

"Wapunzel!" he laughed as he wiped the frightened animal clean on his shirt. "That's not what he's for."

~.~.~.~.~

For the rest of the day, Quasimodo, Rapunzel, the chameleon and the gargoyles played together. Quasi and his friends became very attached to Rapunzel and when the Archdeacon came to take her back to Mother Gothel, Quasimodo was very upset.

"Does she have to go?" Quasi inquired, looking at the sleeping girl in his lap with sad eyes.

"Yes, I'm afraid she does, Quasimodo," answered the Archdeacon. "She's being baptized early tomorrow and then her mother's taking her home." Quasi was visibly upset. "I'm sorry, son, but you'll have to say your goodbyes." Quasi sighed.

"Well, goodbye, little Wapunzel," Quasi said, stroking her hair. Then he got an idea. He took the small chameleon off his shoulder and said, "Little chameleon, you go with Wapunzel. She will need a fwiend. But stay hidden. Her mommy pwobably don't like lizawds," the boy said and placed the chameleon in Rapunzel's hair, where it camouflaged itself to be barely visible. Quasimodo was going to miss the baby with the golden hair. As he handed her to the Archdeacon, he said, "I'll never fowget you, Wapunzel. I pwomise."

The next day, Rapunzel was baptized and Gothel took her back to the hidden tower in Corona.


	2. Chapter 2

~ 18 years later ~

Rapunzel awoke in the middle of the night a bit disoriented. She was in her bed, in her castle, but the dream she'd just had had her thinking she was in Paris. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced at a slumbering Pascal. _That didn't feel like a dream_, she thought to herself, _It was more like a memory_. Rapunzel was confused, so she decided to ask the person she trusted most.

When she arrived at Eugene's room, she knocked softly. She heard no reply, so she knocked just a little bit louder. Still nothing. Rapunzel pouted a bit, and then wiggled the door knob to discover it was unlocked. She quietly slipped into Eugene's room and softly shut the door behind her before tip-toeing over to his bed. Eugene slept in the middle of the large bed, sprawled out, with an arm draped over his face. She couldn't help but smile at him and gently got on the bed with her knees. Eugene still slept. Rapunzel didn't think Eugene was such a heavy sleeper, but then remembered what a long, hard day he'd had earlier. Slowly, she laid her head down on Eugene's chest, listening to his steady, deep breaths. She liked knowing he was alive. She wanted to fall asleep right there, but then remembered why she'd came. She brought her hand up to pat Eugene's chest.

"Eugene?" she whispered. "Eugene, can you wake up now, please?" The man began to stir. Still half-asleep, Eugene lifted his arm off his face to rest his hand on Rapunzel's shoulder before sliding it down her arm, and taking her hand in his. He lifted her hand to his mouth for a soft kiss and whispered, "Hey, Goldie," with a sleepy smile, eyes still closed. Rapunzel giggled and her giggle brought Eugene to consciousness. The realization of their position and its potential dangers dawned on him. His eyes shot open and he sat up with a start.

"Ah! Goldie, wha-?" he tried to keep quiet, "What are you doing here? You can't be here!" he whispered loudly. Rapunzel's expression was shocked and a little hurt.

"Why can't I be here?" she asked softly. Eugene tried to keep his cool, but looked around anxiously.

"Because, Blondie," he explained, "If they see us together like this, they'll think we're doing bad things and your father would probably have me beheaded." Rapunzel was genuinely confused.

"Why would anyone care that we're together? What kind of bad things do they think we'd do? I don't understand," she said truthfully. Eugene relaxed, looking at her swimming green eyes. He sighed, and kissed her forehead.

"I know you don't, Blondie, but I promise that one day I'll explain it to you," he said looking her in the eyes. Then, wanting to change the subject, he asked, "Now do you want to tell me why you're here?" Rapunzel's face lit up, excited to tell Eugene all about her dream.

"Well, I had this dream, only it wasn't a dream, I know it!" she explained. "There was this funny looking boy with red hair and these statues that _talked_!" she giggled. "And I was in _Paris_!" Eugene's brow furrowed with doubt.

"Blondie," he said slowly, "I don't want to seem mean, but that sounds an _awful_ lot like a dream."

"No, but it wasn't!" she exclaimed. "I know it wasn't. Remember when I told you about remembering my mother and father? They were all blurry, but distinguishable and I instantly knew who they were? It was just like that. It was a memory, Eugene. I know it."

"Okay, okay," he gave in, "But why were you in Paris?"

"I don't exactly know that part, but I remember this funny-dressed man sprinkling water on my head." Eugene lifted one eyebrow.

"Now that sounds like a baptism," he said. Rapunzel shrugged.

"Maybe," she shrugged.

"Can you remember if this was a memory with Gothel or your parents?"

"It was Gothel. I remember seeing her," Rapunzel stated, surely. Eugene was surprised; he definitely didn't take Gothel for a religious woman. "Eugene," she said, slowly.

"Hm?" he came back from his train of thought to look at her.

"I want to go to Paris. I want to see that red-haired boy again," she said, confidently.

"Well, that's not really up to me," he said, "I'd be glad to take you, but we'll have to ask your parents first. They might want to come too." Rapunzel's face lit up.

"I hope they let us go, Eugene! I really want to go. I'll tell them about my dream! I'll bet Father will say 'yes'! He never says 'no' to me," Rapunzel giggled excitedly.

"Alright, alright," Eugene tried to calm her, "We'll ask them tomorrow." He got off the bed and stood up, grabbing Rapunzel's hand. "But, you've got to get back to your room," he said, walking her to the door.

At the door, Rapunzel turned around to embrace him in a big hug.

"Thank you, Eugene," she said, voice muffled by his night shirt.

"No problem, Blondie," he chuckled and kissed the top of her head. She released him and he opened the door carefully, peering out to make sure there weren't any guards around. The coast was clear so he gently pushed her out the door. "No get back to bed," he urged.

Rapunzel suddenly turned around and leaped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his. Eugene was startled at first but relaxed and kissed her back. When she broke apart, she giggled and said, "Goodnight, Eugene," with a devilish grin, then took off down the hallway.

Eugene shook his head with a smile, shut the door, and headed back to bed.

~.~.~.~.~

The next day, Rapunzel went to her parents, Eugene by her side for support, to explain her memory and that she wanted to go to Paris to try to find the red-haired boy.

After hearing, the whole story (minus the late-night visit to Eugene's room) the queen looked up at her husband.

"Well," she said, "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," he smiled. "Plus, we've been needing a vacation." The queen smiled too.

"And perhaps we could stay with the King and Queen of France. We haven't seen Adam and Belle in quite some time," she said.

"I'll have a message sent to them and we should be in Paris by next week," the king replied.

A/N: Yay, Chapter 2! And there was even a little fluff in there! And yes, I'm putting in Adam and Belle. I thought it'd be cool since they're French. Anyway! Pretty please R&R! I'd love to know how I'm doing! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

The king of Corona had kept his word about sending a message to the king and queen of France. They had replied that they'd love to have a visit from them and to meet Rapunzel. So the king, queen, Rapunzel and Eugene set out for Paris.

Rapunzel was fascinated the whole trip there. She loved the boat ride to France and the carriage ride to Paris. Everything she saw was the most fascinating and wonderful thing in the world. She had to ask questions about every little thing, but luckily her parents and Eugene loved her enough to answer each one to the best of their knowledge. She often worried about Maximus, since he was the one pulling the carriage, but her parents assured her that Max was a strong horse and didn't mind.

When they arrived in Paris, Rapunzel marveled at the architecture of the city. Then she saw the massive cathedral that is Notre-Dame.

"Eugene!" she exclaimed, "Eugene, that's the place! That's the place from my memory dream!" Eugene peered out the window.

"Notre-Dame?" he asked.

"Yes! That's it!"

The queen looked at the cathedral too. "It's quite impressive, isn't it, dear?" she asked Rapunzel.

"I love it," Rapunzel sighed dreamily. "Isn't it great, Pascal?" she asked the chameleon on her shoulder and he whirred positively in response. "I can't wait to explore it! I hope the red-haired boy is still there!"

Finally, they arrived at France's royal palace. The king and queen stood at the bottom of the palace stairs to greet their carriage. A servant helped Corona's royal family out of the carriage and the queen immediately went to greet Belle.

"Belle!" the queen exclaimed.

"Maria!" the other queen said as the two kissed each other on both cheeks. "Oh it's so good to see you!"

"It's been too long," Queen Maria agreed. King Adam shook hands with the king of Corona.

"Charles! It's nice to see you again, my friend," he said and King Charles agreed. Then Maria introduced her daughter to them.

"Adam, Belle," Maria said, "This is our daughter, Rapunzel and the man who brought her back to us, Mr. Eugene Fitzherbert." Rapunzel curtsied and Eugene bowed. Adam and Belle did the same.

"It's very nice to meet you and we're so glad to hear of your safe return," Belle smiled. Rapunzel marveled at the queen's beautiful yellow silk dress and it took all her restraint not to reach out and touch it. So Rapunzel smiled a 'Thank you' and kept her hands clasped behind her back.

"Well," Adam stated, "Shall we go inside? We've got your rooms all set up and lunch is waiting for us."

~.~.~.~.~

Rapunzel was anxious all throughout lunch, but tried her best to remain the polite princess she was supposed to be. When lunch was finally over she could barely contain herself. Queen Maria, ever intuitive, was well aware of her daughter's impatience and promptly dismissed Rapunzel and Eugene to roam about Paris. Rapunzel squealed a 'Thank you' and tugged on Eugene's arm.

"Oh, Mr. Fitzherbert?" King Charles' voice stopped them and Eugene turned towards him. "Keep my daughter safe." Eugene smiled and bowed at the king.

"As always."

~.~.~.~.~

When they escaped the palace, Rapunzel let out a loud, exasperated sigh.

"Ugh! I like Belle and Adam, but I thought that lunch would never end! I just really want explore!" Rapunzel said. Eugene chuckled.

"I know, Blondie," he said.

The couple talked as they walked around Paris. Rapunzel wanted to give money to every beggar they saw, but Eugene insisted that it was a bad idea. As they headed towards Notre-Dame cathedral Rapunzel spotted another couple walking too. They were arm-in-arm and laughing.

"Awe, look at them, Eugene!" she said, "They're in love too!" Eugene nodded, not really listening, but then made eye-contact with the other woman and realized he knew her. The dark-haired woman recognized him too and walked towards him with a confused look.

"Flynn?" she asked, "Flynn Rider?"

"Esmeralda!" he exclaimed. The woman laughed and embraced Eugene in a hug.

"Flynn Rider?" the blond-haired man with Esmeralda asked. "Well I'll be damned!"

"Captain Phoebus!" Eugene said. "I didn't even recognize you without your uniform on! What are you doing with Esmeralda?"

"For your information," Captain Phoebus said sternly, "We're married."

"Really?" Eugene said, "Why Esmeralda, I never took you for the marrying type!"

"Well, there's someone out there for everyone," Esmeralda said, "Speaking of…" she trailed off, looking at Rapunzel.

"Oh!" Eugene said, "Sorry, Blondie! Where are my manners? Esmeralda, Phoebus, this is Princess Rapunzel of Corona." Rapunzel curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rapunzel said, "And this is Pascal, my chameleon!" Pascal whirred happily and Esmeralda smiled at the small animal.

"You're Rapunzel? The Lost Princess of Corona?" Phoebus said, astounded.

"Well, I'm not lost anymore!" Rapunzel laughed. "Thanks to Eugene!" she said, beaming up at Eugene.

"Eugene?" Esmeralda raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Eugene said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm going by my real name these days. And that'd be Eugene." Phoebus covered his mouth, suppressing a laugh. Eugene frowned. "Oh, right! Like _Phoebus _is any better!"

"Touché," Phoebus said.

"So how do you know these people, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well, Esmeralda and I had many a heist while I was in Paris," Eugene relpied.

"Good times," Esmeralda laughed.

"And as for Phoebus here, he arrested me a couple times. Well, _tried to_, anyway," Eugene smirked.

"Yeah, yeah," Phoebus waved off the comment.

"And what about you, _Eugene_," Esmeralda said, poking a finger at his chest, "How'd you land a _princess_? Never took you for the _royalty_ type," she laughed.

"Well, it's a really long story…" Eugene trailed off.

"He accidently found me in the tower that Mother Gothel kept me locked up in and I made him take me to see the floating lanterns and then I thought he left me for the crown, but he didn't! He came back to my tower and saved me by cutting my hair, but that made him die! But luckily my tears healed him!" Rapunzel spoke very quickly. She always loved telling people her and Eugene's story. Esmeralda blinked a few times and Phoebus raised one eyebrow.

"Sounds… Very interesting," Esmeralda said. Rapunzel blushed.

"There's more details, of course, but that's just the basic story," she said.

"Huh," Phoebus said, then changing the subject, said, "So what brings you to Paris?" Rapunzel got excited again.

"We're here to find the funny looking red-haired boy I met when I was a baby!" she exclaimed.

"You're just full of interesting surprises, aren't you?" Phoebus chuckled.

"Wait," Esmeralda said, "Funny looking red-haired boy? You don't mean Quasimodo do you?" Realization dawned on Rapunzel.

"Yes! Quasimodo! I think that was his name!" she exclaimed.

"Phoebus and I know him!" Esmeralda said, "He's our friend. Would you like to go visit him? He lives in Notre-Dame."

"Wow! What a small world!" Rapunzel said, "Yes, I'd love to visit him!" And with that, the two girls headed off towards Notre-Dame, leaving Phoebus and Eugene a quite a few paces behind them.

"I can't believe you're married to Esmeralda," Eugene stated.

"Yeah," Phoebus said, "It's just something about green eyes."

"Tell me about it."

~.~.~.~.~

A/N: So there's Chapter 3! It would have been up sooner, but I had my 3 hour World History class tonight. UGH! Anyway, I decided to name the king and queen of Corona because they needed names for the scene. I hope everyone's okay with these names. Also, many thanks to my lovely reviewers! You guys are awesome! Please review this chapter too! I'll get cracking on Chapter 4! Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

Inside the cathedral, Rapunzel was in awe. Everything was so ornate and beautiful, and she had to constantly remind herself not to touch everything. She followed Esmeralda up winding stairs, excitement pouring out of her. As the four climbed the stairs, Rapunzel held Eugene's hand tightly.

"Do you think he'll remember me?" she asked Eugene.

"You're kind of hard to forget," he chuckled.

When they finally reached their destination, Esmeralda called out for Quasimodo.

"Quasimodo? Quasi are you here? I've got a surprise for you!" she called. Suddenly the four heard uneven footsteps approaching and Quasimodo appeared. Rapunzel immediately recognized him and it took all her restraint (and some help from Eugene) not to run to him.

"Oh hello, Esmeralda!" Quasimodo said, smiling as he hugged her. "Hello, Phoebus," he nodded. Then he looked at the two strangers.

"Quasimodo," Esmeralda said, taking Rapunzel's hand, "Does she seem familiar to you?" Rapunzel's eyes were wide and smiling. She desperately hoped he'd remember her. Quasi studied her for a while and tilted his head.

"You do look vaguely familiar," he said, "Especially your eyes." Then Quasi noticed the small, green chameleon on Rapunzel's shoulder. "Wait a minute! You can't be. It's impossible," he said in disbelief. "Are you that baby that was baptized here a long time ago? Ran… No, Ral- um…"

"RAPUNZEL!" Rapunzel shouted her name, not being able to take it any longer and hugged the short man. "My name's Rapunzel! Oh, you _do_ remember me!" she squealed.

"Rapunzel! Yes, that's right!" Quasi laughed and hugged the girl back. When she pulled away from him, she was smiling from ear-to-ear. "But wait, what happened to your hair? Wasn't it blonde before?" Quasi asked. Rapunzel's face dropped slightly.

"Yeah, it used to be," she said, "It's a really long story, but I'll tell you it later!"

"Alright," Quasi laughed, "I can't believe that chameleon's still alive!" Rapunzel's brow furrowed.

"You know Pascal?" she asked. Pascal whirred positively on her shoulder. She picked him up and he made gestures to Quasimodo, himself, and to her.

"That's right," Quasimodo said, "I gave him to you! I remember thinking you'd need a friend."

"WOW!" Rapunzel exclaimed and hugged Quasi again. "Thank you! I never even thought about how I got Pascal. He's just always been there! He's my best friend!" Then she remembered her other best friend, who had yet to be introduced. "Oh!" she exclaimed and grabbed Eugene's arm, pulling him to meet Quasi. "And this is my other best friend! Eugene!" Eugene extended a hand to Quasi and they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you," Eugene said.

"Nice to meet you too, Eugene," Quasi smiled.

"Well," Esmeralda said, "I think we've all got some catching up to do!" They all agreed, so Quasi found some pillows to sit on and the five sat down to talk about all the things that had been happening in their lives.

~.~.~.~.~

Hours passed as they each told their stories and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. The seating arrangements eventually changed so that Rapunzel was perched on Eugene's lap and Esmeralda had assumed a comfortable position under Phoebus' arm. Quasimodo lay on his side, head propped up on his fist. Eugene looked out a window and noticed that the sun was nearly set.

"Hey, Blondie?" he said quietly, as Quasimodo was still talking. She looked at him with the smile that had been permanently glued to her face for hours now. "It's almost dark. We gotta head back to the palace." Her brows knit together.

"Oh, but I don't want to leave yet!" she pleaded. Quasimodo stopped his story to ask what was wrong. "Eugene says we have to go back to the palace now," Rapunzel pouted.

"I'm sorry," Eugene said truthfully (he didn't really want to go back either), "But we need to be back soon or else your parents will worry."

"Can't Phoebus, Esmeralda and Quasi come with us?" Rapunzel asked. "There's plenty of room in the palace! They could spend the night!" Eugene raised one eyebrow at her.

"Well that's not really my decision, Blondie," he grimaced. Rapunzel turned her attention to the others.

"Oh, won't you please come back with us? I bet if I ask Belle and Adam, they'll let you stay! They're really nice! They couldn't possibly keep me from my new friends!" Rapunzel whined. Esmeralda looked at Phoebus.

"Well," she said, "I guess it couldn't hurt to ask."

"What about Jolly and Achilles?" Phoebus asked.

"Oh, they'll be fine alone for one night," she assured him. Phoebus shrugged. Rapunzel was beaming again at their agreements.

"What about you, Quasimodo?" Rapunzel asked him with pleading eyes. Quasi was going to say it was a bad idea, but one look at her face and he caved.

"I guess we can ask," he smiled.

~.~.~.~.~

Belle and Adam agreed to let Rapunzel's friends stay the night, saying that any friend of hers was a friend of theirs. Esmeralda, Phoebus and Quasi introduced themselves to Belle and Adam. Quasi, who was still very self-conscious, apologized for his appearance to Belle.

"Queen Belle, thank you very much for allowing me to stay. I realize my appearance can be frightening. I apologize for any discomfort I cause you," Quasimodo said sadly. To his surprise, Belle laughed at his apology.

"Oh, Quasimodo! You don't need to apologize. I've plenty experience with things much scarier than you," she smiled at shot a loving glance at Adam.

After a wonderful dinner full of conversation and laughter, everyone retired to their respective rooms for the night.

~.~.~.~.~

Adam sat against the headboard of his and Belle's large bed, waiting for Belle to join him. She was in their washroom getting ready for bed, but the door was open so they could converse.

"It sure is nice having so many guests in the palace tonight," Adam said. Belle agreed.

"It certainly feels homier. And isn't that Rapunzel just the biggest sweetheart?"

"She is very charming," Adam agreed. Belle leaned against the door frame of the washroom with her arms crossed.

"Not as charming as you though," she winked. Adam smiled and patted the empty spot next to him, encouraging her to join him. As she walked towards him, Adam admired the way her nightgown clung to her curves and wondered how he got so lucky. She joined him in bed and Adam handed her a book. Belle read to him almost every night. He loved listening to her read. Normally she picked the stories, but they had finished their last book and Adam had picked out a new one. Belle examined the cover.

"Moby-Dick?" she raised one eyebrow at Adam and he nodded eagerly. "Great choice," she smiled at him. Belle cleared her throat and began, "_Call me Ishmael..._"

~.~.~.~.~

Phoebus and Esmeralda lay in the huge, strange bed of their huge, strange bedroom.

"Never thought I'd be sleeping in a palace," Esmeralda sighed and snuggled closer to Phoebus.

"I know," he agreed, "It's so…_spacious_," Esmeralda nodded, sending the beautiful scent of her hair about his face. He inhaled and kissed where her temple met her hair. She closed her eyes, smiling and sighed.

"Isn't it strange how we both knew Flynn, er, _Eugene_?" she chuckled. Phoebus nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, about that," he said slowly, "Were you two…ever…you know…" Esmeralda stopped him with her laugh and rolled to face him.

"Who, _Flynn_?" she laughed, "No! Haha, I mean he _tried _but it takes much more than '_The Smolder_' to win me over." Esmeralda laughed and rolled on top of him, straddling him. "You should know that," she smiled and gave him a chaste kiss. Then her face got more serious. "Besides," she said, running a hand over his chest, "You know you're the only man that's ever had me." Phoebus looked at her with loving eyes. One hand rested on her waist and the other cupped her chin to bring her down for a long, passionate kiss.

~.~.~.~.~

In Rapunzel's designated room, she lay in her big, lonely bed, wide awake. She was still wired from the day's events. She rambled to Pascal about how great the day was, even though he'd been there, but Pascal grew tired and eventually nodded off. Rapunzel huffed and got out of bed. She really wanted to keep talking. She wasn't the least bit tired, so she lit a candle and sneaked off towards Quasimodo's room.

When she knocked on his door, it only took a few moments for him to answer. He opened the door was barely able to say her name before she pushed her way in with a. "Hey, Quasi!"

"Uh, hey," he said. "What are you doing here?" He watched as she sat down on his bed and made herself comfortable.

"Oh, I was just still too wound up to sleep, so I came to talk to you!" she exclaimed.

"Oh," Quasi said, sitting down next to her. "Well what would you like to talk about?"

"I don't really know!" she said, "I was just thinking how it's strange that we have such similar pasts."

"I know," he agreed, "It's like we're destined to be friends." Rapunzel smiled at him.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, "And now I have three _best _friends! Pascal, Eugene, and now you!" Quasi laughed.

"And don't forget Phoebus and Esmeralda."

"Oh, yes! They're so nice. And I can't believe they _both _knew Eugene from the old days!" she said in disbelief. Quasi nodded.

"And you know what else?" Quasi asked, "I think you and Eugene are a sweet couple."

"Really?" she gushed, "Thank you! I love Eugene so much."

"I can tell," Quasi laughed, "And I can tell he loves you just as much."

"Oh," Rapunzel sighed, "Yes. He's so patient with me. There's so much I don't know or understand, but he always is there to teach me." Quasi nodded and yawned.

"Mhm. He seems like a great guy!" Quasi stretched his arms, "Rapunzel? I don't want to seem rude, but it's awfully late. We both need our sleep, or we'll be tired in the morning."

"Oh, you're probably right," she sighed and stood up. She and Quasimodo hugged and said their goodnights.

Rapunzel walked down the dark hallway with her candle. She planned on going back to her room, but her head still buzzed and she wasn't tired enough to sleep. She decided she'd go visit Eugene, knowing he'd be able to relax her. When she arrived at his room, she tried the door handle first and didn't bother knocking. It was unlocked so she let herself in. Eugene lay in his bed, but he wasn't asleep. His hands were behind his head and he stared into the darkness. When he heard the door open he sat up.

"Blondie?" he asked. He wasn't going to tell her to leave because one: he knew she wouldn't do it, and two: he had been thinking about her all night and really missed her. He could see her smile at him in the candle light and he pulled back the blankets, making room for her next to him. He wouldn't tell her to leave tonight. She sat her candle down on the night stand and snuggled up next to him. "So what are you doing here?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep, so I visited Quasi and we talked for a while. But then he wanted to sleep and I still wasn't tired, so I figured I'd come visit you since you always seem to relax me," she said with content smile. Eugene chuckled.

"I couldn't sleep either," he said softly and sighed, "I'm glad you're here."

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked. Her pleading face was glowing in the light of the candle and he brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face.

"You probably _shouldn't_," he sighed, "but I really don't want you to go." She grinned and gave him one of her quick, child-like kisses. Eugene's eyes lowered and he gazed at her, swearing he'd never seen anything so beautiful. He reached up to cup her cheek and pulled her in for another kiss, internally swearing he wouldn't let this go too far; but he needed this. He held her there for a moment and when she didn't pull away, he slowly urged her lips apart. She complied, curious as to what he was up to. A shock wave went through her body as he slid his tongue into her mouth. Her eyes shot open, but she didn't pull away.

Eugene marveled at how wonderful she tasted. She was so soft and beautiful. After the initial shock of this new experience, Rapunzel curiously caressed his tongue with her own, wanting him to feel the warmth she was feeling. Eugene moaned and deepened the kiss. He moved on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbow, one hand entangled itself in her hair. Her arms snaked around his neck and she instinctively pressed closer against him. For what seemed like forever, they kissed like this, heads swimming with complete euphoria.

They eventually had to broke for air. Both breathing heavily, Eugene rested his forehead on hers, smiling. Rapunzel giggled breathlessly,

"Wow! That was… _Amazing!_" Eugene rolled over on his back and ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear the red haze of lust from his head.

"Yeah," he breathed, desperately wishing it didn't have to end. Rapunzel wrapped a slender arm around Eugene and rested her head on his bare chest, sighing contently.

"Promise we'll do that again?" she asked, grinning. Eugene chuckled.

"We will _definitely_ do that again." Eugene wrapped an arm around her small shoulders and rested his other hand on the arm she'd draped over his chest. Rapunzel nuzzled his chest, breathing in his relaxing musk, and listening to his heartbeat; she was asleep within moments. Eugene knew he'd be in big trouble if anyone found them like this in the morning, but at the moment her could truly care less. He'd just made out with the girl he loved and now she was sleeping, safe in his arms. He couldn't have been more content. He'd think of something to avoid trouble if he needed to. He always did.

The candle's fire grew dimmer and dimmer until the room was submerged in darkness and Eugene was asleep.

A/N: Alright! Well there's Chapter 4! Sorry it took so long, but as you can see, it's pretty long and I worked really hard on it. I _probably_ should have split it into two chapters, but oh well! I really hope you guys enjoyed it! And how 'bout that kissing scene? ;D Pleasepleaseplease review! I truly appreciate them! Thanks!


End file.
